my selfe by giving an answer to Davids demand before I come to the question which is VERSE V. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou dâ—squieted in me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance VVHerein hee makes further declaration of his sorrowfull and perplexed estate that his soule in this time of trouble did pant and thirst and was powred out and cast downe and disquieted not finding release from misery nor evasion out of these calamities Now if the light that is in thee be darknesse Mat. 6.23 how great is that darknesse and if the soule that is in thee be sorrowfull how great is that sorrow Pro. 12.25 When heavinesse in the heart of man maketh it stoupe yea to be cast down as Davids was And yet there is great cause that the soule bee lifted up with joy and not dejected with griefe if wee consider the originall of it Igneus est illis vigor coelestis origo Virgil. that it proceedeth from God himselfe Gen. 1.27 2.7 Psal 8.5 Mortalibus alti quantum coelicolae tantundem animalibus isti praecellunt cunctis Silius Eccles 3.21 12.7 who created us after his own image breathing into us the breath of life whereby wee became living soules So that wee who were made but a little lower than the Angels were made much higher than all other creatures For when the spirit of the beast goeth downeward to the earth our spirit shall returne to God that gave it Also there is cause of ioy unto the soule in regard of the body Deus dedit corpus animae ut illud in coelum eveneret Non dedita animam corpâ—ri ut c. God gave the body unto the soule that it might raise the body unto heaven Hee did not give the soule unto the body that it might presse the soule to the earth Admonet figura c. Boet Shall the body be erect towards heaven and the soule decline towards the earth Let us consider how helpfull the body is to the soule in the worship of God when our eyes wait upon him and our tongue is our glory to praise him and wee lift up pure hands and daily bow our knees before him when our feet doe carry us to his house and there wee prostrate our whole body in his presence Thus in our estate of grace there is an happy union and consent betweene them both But as Eve â—en 2.18 who was made a meete helpe proved a cause of the greatest woe and misery So the body which should assist the soule doth rebell against it and thereby becomes a great annoyance Like that kinde of torment when they did binde the dead and the living together Corpora ca daveribus ad versa adversis alligata Val. Max. So the soule that lives for ever and is willing to doe good is ioyned unto a body that is weake yea even dead to any holy duty And then the servant is upon an horse Ephes 2 5. Eccles 10 7. and the Prince doth walke as a servant upon the earth the hand-maide is advanced Eucherius ad Valeâ—ian and the mistresse brought downe to the foot-stoole The body doth bring the soule into captivity and make it of a king to become a servent Modo rex esâ— modo tyraâ—nus Sence oâ— else a tyrant Wherefore when wee finde a law in our members warring against the law of our minde wee must pray to be delivered froÌ„ this body of death Rom. 7. verse 23.24 It was observed that when the body sleepeth Anima dum corpori vires admâ—nistrat nequaquam vacat sibi c. Hippocrat the soule hath most liberty And wee know assuredly that when our bodies shall bee laid to sleepe in the grave our soules shall bee inlarged Terreno carcere resoluta caelum ibera petâ—â— Boet. and delivered from that earthly house wherein they were long pent and imprisoned Vt novus serpens pofitâ cum pelle senectâ c. Ovid. And as the serpent doth become young againe after it hath cast off the skinne so the soule shall bee clothed with maiesty and glory when this fraile body shall waxe old like a garment and bee folded up as a vesture untill the end of all things and then this vile body shall be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ and being reioyned unto the soule shall enter into the ioy of our Master If that father did so reioyce when he saw his sonne to be alive Gen. 46.30 whom hee thought to bee dead then how excellent shall our ioy bee when the body which was dead shall bee alive and they both being knit together shall live in blisse for evermore 29.20 Did those seven yeares seeme to bee but a few dayes 31.40 for the love that Iacob had to Rachel though hee suffered the drought in the day the frost by night and watched both day and night Then how wonderfull ought the love of the soule be to the body cheerfully serving the Lord patiently enduring all tryals and afflictions not being cast downe as if it were without hope but looking for the Saviour who shall unite both soule and body And wee shall be as the Angels of God in heaven Mat. 22.30 Let us now take notice of Davids examination of himselfe that wee thereby may learne to iudge ourselves and wee shall not bee iudged Formerly hee had with his whole heart sought unto the Lord to shew him the light of his countenance He had earnestly desired to appeare before God Hee had humbled himselfe in sorrow for his owne transgressions and the sins of other men Now God accepteth the will for the deed And they that mourne have a promise of comfort Mat. 6. Why then art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me Psal 4.4 Also hee did commune with his owne heart and was no fugitive from it as many are who have greatest reason to bee sorrowfull and to feare lest their soules should bee cast downe lower than Davids was because they never looke home to examine and prove themselves and to know that Christ is in them 2. Cor. 13.5 except they bee reprobates But David did make diligent search in his owne heart Psal 77.6 and in all things desired the good and comfortable estate of it Then why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in me Remember the workes of old how graciously the Lord hath dealt with thee Say not within thy selfe that his mercy is clean gone for ever for thou dost stil enioy many blessings and his grace doth now keep thee from fainting Consider that in this chastisement the Lord dealeth with thee as with a childe and it is not his good pleasure that thou shouldest have sorrow upon sorrow but that this light affliction working for thy good may bring thee to an
otherwise than Herod thought to worship Christ Mat. 2.7 when he enquired diligently after him He hoped to have killed the Lord of life and they purpose to doe no lesse comming out with swords Mat. 26.55 as against a theefe though they aime at the members yet they smite the head it selfe in their persecution Act. 9.4 5. What is done to one of those little ones is done unto Christ and what is done to Christ is done to one of them A servant of God cannot heare His holy name which wee ought not to use without great reverence to bee dishonoured but his righteous soule must be vexed thereat It was this which did strike so deepe into David and vexe him so sore See the coherence which hee makes in the same verse Psal 69.9 For the zeale of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are falne upon me How free hee was from anger and revenge in his owne particular case may appeare by his carriage when Saul had a quarrell against him For though Saul had so highly offended God by his folly in offering a burnt offering for the which hee was told that his kingdome should not continue God having sought a man after his owne heart And againe hee rebelled by disobedience in sparing Agag the best of the spoile at which time the Prophet threatned him that his kingdome should bee rent away from him And though David was anoynted by Samuel and might have set upon Saul when hee cut the skirt of his robe privily and another time might have suffered Abishai to smite him and make him sleepe his last yet hee would not upon these pretences put forth his hand against him but lamented at his death and calls to the daughters of Israel to weepe over Saul But here when God was contemned he was pricked to the heart and his marrow was turned into the drought of Summer He was upon the racke and all his bones were broken when he heard their evill speeches whereby they infected the ayre and poysoned their owne soules Now between David and most men living in these daies there is as great a difference as betweene the King upon the throne and the meanest subject grinding at the mill Hee had a soveraigne command over him selfe and was slow to anger not sinning by wrath yet most sensible oâ—e malicious words tending to the dishonour of God Whereas many that in Gods cause are like dumbe idols which have eares and heare not as if it did not concerne them being never touched with inward compunction when his name shall bee blasphemed but will rather give some consent thereunto as if they were well pleased with such lewdnesse And yet when their owne reputation shall be brought in question they will whet their tongue like a sword in sharpe invectives and will whet their swords also that they may wash off the least disgrace with the bloud of other men But if God doth whet his glittering sword and his hand take hold on judgement Deut. 32.41 he will render vengeance to all those which are of that mercilesse disposition that Cain was who thought the life of his brother to bee the most acceptable sacrifice VERSE XI Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within mee Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God VVHereas David so often repeateth these words we may observe the manifold troubles which befall us in this life Having mentioned his teates and his banishment in the beginning at the fift verse he rebukes his soule for sadnesse Having rehearsed his other afflictions he now againe chides himselfe for this distrustfull heavinesse As Peter Mat. 14.30 though he began to sinke the first time hee went to Christ upon the water Yet he was not thereby discouraged from casting himselfe into the sea againe Iohn 21.7 and then he passed safely to the shoare where Christ was So though the waves billowes went over David when hee hoped to approch unto God by faith yet here againe hee calls upon his soule and casting himselfe upon Gods mercy he arrives at the port of blessednesse Hee did not overcome these temptations and trialls at the first assault nor yet was he wearied with the continuance of them But whensoever he was molested with any evill he labours to strengthen his confidence in Gods love that he may be restored to comfort As Paul prayed thrice that the messenger of Satan might depart from him 2. Cor. 12. â— So our Author shutting up the next Psalme with the same conclusion doth the third time seek to be freed from this thorne in the flesh this heavinesse that was so offensive unto him By this we may learne that lesson which we shall have cause to remember and occasion to practice That through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdome of heaven Act. 14.22 2. Cor. 7.5 Without are fightings within are feares A wounded spirit who can beare What sorrow so neere what trouble so heavy as this when the soule shall be disquieted with doubt of Gods love or sense of his displeasure And yet wee must not faint and forsake our assurance but continue faithfull unto the death that wee may receive the crown of life In afflictions wee must not thinke some new thing doth come upon us which hath not beene before Wee will not compare our sufferings and trials with those which David endured Wee may take this one Prophet for an example of suffering affliction yet did hee not cast away his confidence but hoped in God therfore let us also hold fast the profession of our faith Iam 5.7 Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it untill hee receiue the earely and later raine let us also stablish our hearts that wee may bee refreshed with Gods favour As in water face answereth to face Pro. 27.19 so if wee looke unto the Lord Psal 42.5 we shall praise him for the helpe of his countenance who is the health of our countenance and our God The consideration hereof may be of speciall use and importance in all the casualties of this life but chiefly at the time of death Iob 18.14 when wee are brought to the king of terrors when this earthly house is dissolved we shall be conducted to the kings palace when these old garments be laid aside we shall be arraied in long robes I shall yet praise God yea I shall for ever praise God when I shall alwayes appeare in his presence Who is the health of my countenance who raised me from sicknesse to a sound estate who gave me strength after infirmity who filled me with plenty after adversity who revived me with comfort after sorrow and who will bring me to life after death Being then especially the health of my countenance when hee makes my face to shine as the sunne by beholding his glory And doth change this vile mortall corruptible body into a glorious body The lame man Act. 3.4 who was laid at the gate of the temple looking upon Peter received strength and entring into the temple praised God Though now our soules be cast downe yet if we trust in the Lord all our infirmities shall be cured entring into the holiest place we shall blesse the name of the Lord for evermore Then be not discouraged with present afflictions let thy hope be stedfast and sure Though in tempests sometimes they cut the anchors leave them in the sea Act. 27.40 that the men may be saved yet if we let our hope depart from us we perish The time of our life is but as sixe dayes of labour and sorrow and in this space we have so many nights of quiet and comfort yea we have an evening before the morning a time of strength before a time of triall But in the end there is the eternall Sabbath of blessednesse when we shall for ever magnifie the name of the Lord Amos 8.5 Though the carnall man doth with the Sabbath gone that he may set forth wheate and falsifie the ballances by deceit yet let not beleevers make hast by impatience but waite upon the Lord knowing that by this difficult ascent we come to sit upon the throne FINIS
with that disciple which in vaine asked leave to goe bury his Father as if the greatest part of his duty consisted in his diligence about that last office Thereby thou art put in minde of thy former disobedience unto the Father of spirits Surely this wounded David most when his sonne rebelled against him the remembrance of his rebellion against the great King with whom hee warred in the murther of Uriah Also doth thy son greedily desire an earthly inheritance and art thou carelesse and negligent in seeking for a crowne of life whereof thou canst never bee deprived No rather upon experience that all things are vexation of spirit and those of thine owne house thy greatest enemies be thou provoked with the more zeale and vehemency of affection to pant after the Lord. This observation I should willingly have passed as Solon did to make a Law against parricides hoping there were none such Mat. 10.21 but that a wiser than Solon or Salomon himselfe hath foretold that children shall rise against their parents Art thou persecuted by some cruell Nimrod Lam 1.6 4.18 3.52 some mighty hunter who chaseth thee sore and hunteth thy steps so that thou art become like an Hart without strength before the pursuer as the Prophet speaketh Then as the Hart panteth after the river so let thy soule pant after the Lord. The Israelites being distressed by Pharaoh that followed them cryed unto the Lord and saw his salvation the waters were a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left but covered their enemies and like that river Kishon swept them all away Iudg. 5.21 When thou art in a great straite call upon the Lord who knoweth how to deliver those that are his and thou maist see thy desire upon thine enemies even that which thou most desirest their conversion Being sore vexed by some bloudy minded man Act. 9.1 Iosh 8. who doth breath out threatnings and slaughter compare thine estate with that of Gods people pursued by the men of Ai who being full of malice followed Israel and perceived not that ambush which was laid against them whereby their city was set on fire and themselves overcome Doth thine enemy seeke after thy life or thy good name Would he hurt thee with the sharpe sword of Esau or the bitter words of Ishmael call upon God as Ioshuah did who will give thee a glorious deliverance In the meane while hee that hateth thee doth not discern how powerfull that enemy is which lyeth in waite against him by whom his tongue is set on fire as Saint Iames speaketh in cursing and his heart enraged by anger and envy so that he is utterly confounded and overthrowne Such an enemy is not to be feared whose ayme and power doth extend no further than to kill the body But there is another more dreadfull enemy that seeketh to destroy both body and soule in hell against whom wee must implore the helpe of the Lord. He it is that goeth to fro in the earth and walketh up and downe in it having the whole world for his forest wherein hee hunteth after us who is not satisfied with out bloud which he hunteh after being a murtherer from the beginning And as hunters in ancient times were clad in white garments Antiqui Venatores albis vestibus inclut Iul. Scal. so he can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light 2. Cor. 11.14 using any shape and disguise that he may deceive us dealing therein like this our Absalom who tooke his brother Amnon in a snare that he had set for him 2. Sam. 13.28 and killed him And now by chase and pursuite he hopeth to take David his father So doth Satan set snares and ginnes that hee may bring us to destruction And how many doth he take by presumption If by that meanes hee cannot prevaile Ingentem clamore prâ—nâ—s ad reâ—ta cervum Virgil. 1. Pet. 5.8 then as a roaring Lyon which seeketh whom hee may devoure by terrour hee would invelope us in the pit of desperation He himselfe being master of the game with the helpe of his assassinates in that bloudy worke did assault our blessed Saviour Psal 25. inscriptâ—â—â— whom the Psalmist compareth to the Hart of the morning who was rowzed early in the morning as hee was from his birth by Herod and chased all his life long And at last early in the morning Luke 22.66 Psal 22.16 Matutino tempore à rabiosis hominibus dilaniatus Flamin assoone as it was day many dogs compassed him and he was stricken and pierced wounded for our transgressions being as the goate that was offered Leuit 16.7 that we might escape damnation So that now though wee bee as an army of Harts weake and timerous yet having the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah to be the Captaine of our salvation Revel 5.5 Heb 2.10 from him we receive strength courage and safety For as the Hart royall escapeth being chased by some Prince so our soule shall be defended when we are pursued by the Prince of this Iohn 12.31 world if wee pant after the Lord and pray unto him to save us Psal 7.2 lest hee teare our soules like a lyon while there is none to deliver There is mention of one Sertorius the great Impostor amongst the Romanes Ab ea se quaenam aut agenda aut vitanda esset praedican Val. Max. A. Gel. who kept a tame Hart and used it as Mahomet did his Dove to delude his souldiers pretending that he was thereby admonished and directed what to doe But surely it will bee our wisedome to bee led and guided by this Hart which panteth after the water-brookes to pant after the Lord. And doubtlesse this is the most blessed use of the creatures when in the sight or remembrance of them our minds are elevated and raised up to heavenly cogitations And in so doing wee shall be followers of Christ who upon all occasions as of the water the vine the corne and in all his Parables did instruct and edifie those that heard him And thus may wee bee affected Is there such delight and contentment to be received from the creature then what joy happinesse from the Creator of all things Is there such pleasure in the cheerefull use of these things here below then how great are those pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore Doth the distressed Hart desire the river that shee may be relieved Then how blessed are they that have the God of Iacob for a refuge from whose love Rom. 8. â—â— neither persecution nor any other thing shall bee able to separate them And seeing that enmity which is betweene us and the creatures and betweene the creatures themselves wee are put in minde of that great sinne of our first parents Since which time they have cast off the yoke of subjection unto man who had first cast off that easie yoke of obedience unto God
I shall give him that is 6.35 hee that beleeveth shall never thirst but out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters 7. 38. 4.14 The water that I shall give him shall bee as a Well of water springing up unto life everlasting Then spring up O well sing yee unto it Num. 21.17 and let thy soule thirst after him Iohn 19.28 who in his passion said I thirst who thirsted after us our salvation who drank off the dregs of the cup of his Fathers wrath that we might drinke the cup of blessing By the cluster of grapes that the spyes brought they might judge of the fruitfulnesse of the land And by the first fruits that the Lord giveth us in this life wee may in part discerne what the whole vintage will be hereafter Even by tasting wee see how good the Lord is Psal 34.8 who doth sustaine us in this our pilgrimage 107.5 when we are hungry and thirsty and our soule faint within us if wee cry unto him hee will relieve us And as the Lacedaemonians doe never satisfie their children with food Ita liberos alunt ut nunquam satientur Heraclides that thereby they may learne to endure hardship So those blessings which God giveth if rightly used doe make us the more to thirst after him And to speake as the Church doth stay me with flagons Cant. 2.5 knowing that the best wine is reserved untill afterward Iohn 2.10 and the greatest comforts untill that better life For this kingdome wherein wee live wee may speake as the Lord doth of Canaan Deut. 11.10 that it is not like the land of Egypt which thou wateredst with thy foot as a garden of herbs But a good land a land of brookes of water of fountaines and depths that spring out of valleyes and hils wee have enjoyed the waters of life and the plenteous means of salvation True it is there was a time when the three yeares of Elijah his drought were doubled upon us and therein the burning heate of persecution But as Isaac repaired those wells of Gen. 26.18 water that had been stopped by the Philistims which Abraham his father had formerly digged so our Deborah of ever-blessed memory hath opened those fountaines which her father had digged Isai 12.3 since which time with joy may wee draw water out of the wells of salvation Then let us take of the water of life freely Revel 22.17 Milites religione pluviâ magis usi â—am rati sese dâ—ts immortalib curae esse Salust And as that army which would not drinke but only of the raine comming as they thought from the divine providence to relieve them So let our soules be enlarged in seeking of spiritual blessings thirst after the Lord â—sal 143.6 as a thirsty land which opens it selfe to receive the hevenly showers Eucherius We may reade how thankful great Kings have beene unto those that in their thirst did refresh them Caesar in Senec de ben Xerxes in AElian Artaxerxes in cod and give them water Then how should we praise the Lord for giving us his Sonne Christ Iesus the fountaine of all grace and comfort who came downe like raine upon the mowne grasse Psal 7â— 6 And though it be the commendation of David that mercifull King that he would not drinke the bloud of those three mighty men that went in jeopardy of their lives 2. Sam. 23.16 and brought water unto him when hee longed for it yet will it be our condemnation if wee doe not drinke the bloud of our Saviour which not by the hazzard but by the losse of his life hee hath given unto us And surely wee have great encouragemeÌ„t to thirst after the Lord For it is a blessed thing to thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 and we have a promise that wee shall bee filled And as by outward thirst some are recovered from diseases of the body Miraberis quosdam fame ac siti curari Senec. so by this heavenly thirst wee are cured of all maladies and troubles both of soule and body Wherefore as new-borne babes let us desire the sincere milke of the word that wee may grow thereby It will bee as strong drinke unto us when wee are ready to perish Prov. 31.6 and as wine when our hearts are heavy But most of us are so farre from this happy thirst that we are ready rather with those stifnecked Israelites to murmur against the Lord Our stomacks are so full that wee loath the honey comb the word of life which should be sweeter unto us than the honey and the honey comb Like those that have the jaundies Mel omnibus dulce â—etericis tamen c Alex. Aphrodys that which is most pleasant seemeth bitter and offensive unto us And as the sheepe Oâ—e aperâ—o vento recâ—pâ—entes fâ—â—m suam se 〈◊〉 Val. Mâ—â— whose thirst is quenched by the winde we are better satisfied with vanities and more contented with our inventions than with the water of life How justly in regard of our contempt may the Lord remove those blessings from us turn our water-springs into dry ground Psal 107 â—4 and this fruitfull land into barrennesse for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein â—ai 65.13 When his servants shall drinke but ye shall bee thirsty and as the old Historian speakes of a people that perished for want of water Psylli interciderunt Auster eis omnia receptacula aquarum arfecerat Herodot so this nation may bee consumed for want of this living water which now wee so lightly esteeme at which time Nocturnum â—â—câ—pere roâ—em cogeâ—tutur Caesar bel Civil like those that have beene constrained to receive the dew of the night we may earnestly desire the least drop of heavenly comfort and not obtaine it Pandunt orasiti nocturnum que aâ—â—a captant Lucan If wee duely consider wee will approve the wisedome of David in this choise which hee made to thirst after the living God Whose mercyes never faile but they are renewed every day with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of change whereas all things else are subject to alteration There is no life in them unlesse it proceed from the Lord If wee repose confidence in any worldly benefit wee may as soone be destitute as Hagar was Gen. 21.15 when her bottle was empty there had beene a worse casting out than the former unlesse the Lord had opened her eyes to see the wall of water Doe wee receive sustentation and comfort by any outward gift As the brooke Cherith dryed up 1. King 17.7 because there had bin no raine in the land so wee shall presently be at our wits end if the Lord withdraw his mercies from us Yea thougâ— wee have abundance of these things here below though our well bee deepe like Iacobs our river doth overflow the bankes like Iordane how soone
can the Lord stay the course thereof Psal 74 15. Hee dryeth up mighty rivers So that in our greatest necessity wee may bee to seeke when our goods which we thought to be our chiefest good shall deale by us as those brookes did by the troups of Tema Iob. 6.17 what time they waxe warme they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of their place But let us grant their request which is the desire of the most the most they do desire that they may possesse great plenty of all things during their life yet even therein do they deceive their owne soules Their greedy desires being more boundlesse than the sea which hath it's limits how farre it shall passe whereas they are never satisfied untill death robs them of all And that which is added unto them Cum plenâ— aquâ sint sitiunt semper Alex. Aphrod is but as so much drink â—o him that hath the dropsie to increase his thirst The more wood is heaped on the fire is the greater and their covetous appetite increaseth with their meanes Also though for the present their thirst doth seeme to be allayed yet will it be like the use of snow-water coole and pleasing at the instant Tabemque morbos sensim vâ—â—cenbus â—â—seminaâ—â— A. Cell but ingendring manifold diseases Their wealth which seemed most delightfull will prove a cause of sorrow and anguish unto them When they are in perplexity their estate may be like his Pompâ—ius cum tot â—â—umina possideret mendicavit stillicidia Sence who had the royalty of many rivers and yet was driven to beg a few drops of water So they notwithstanding all their treasures will bee compelled to sue for inward consolation and yet finde the doore shut against them Offer unto that man which is thirsty the best provision of meate and hee will reject it as unprofitable unto him onely give him drinke and his spirit will come againe as Sampsons did Iudg. 15.19 and he shall be revived And therefore well might Saul have a cruse of water together with the speare at 1. Sam. 26.21 his bolster shewing that the one was as needfull to sustaine life as the other to defend it In the greatest exigent when our strength is dryed up like a pot-sheard Psal 22.15 32.4 and our moisture is turned into the drought of summer who can relieve us but God alone what can refresh us but onely this water of life Then let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth rather than I should thirst after any thing but the God of my salvation How intolerable a torment thirst is there is none but have had sufficient experience Our Saviour chose to expresse the paines of hell by the torture which the tongue hath in extremity of a burning ague And here the sick man commeth to be cured Flagrat incensum siti cor Senec. in Thyest whose disease is like a fire in his bones whose bowels are burnt like an hearth whose heart is melted like waxe Then doth he implore the helpe of man Vbi definit medicus incipit theologus Psal 146.3 Quae sitaeque nocent arâ—es cessêre magistri Virgil. Cadunt medentes morbus auxilium trabit Senec. for to proceed otherwise is a methode unknowne to the world and thought to be ominous But there is no helpe in the sonne of man his breath goeth forth and he returneth to his earth Unto whom it may in vaine be said Physitian heale thy selfe As not being able to obtaine deliverance from that anguish which himselfe endureth At last some better helpe is required at which time that saying of the Apostle is true If in this life onely I have hope I am of all men most miserable Unlesse thy soule can finde ease by thirsting for God thy fever is come to torment thee before the time There 's no other remedy but only the sure mercies of David even in death it selfe to thirst for the living God who giveth unto all men the life wee now have who giveth unto King David and to us as Kings 1. King 1.31 that life which is for ever In this my proceeding I finde the poore man desiring drinke to quench his thirst I cannot passe by one in so great misery but with the good Samaritan I must make provision for him Luk. 10.34 Dost thou live in penury and sorrow Know that Christ himselfe did drinke of the brooke in the way Psal 110.7 that is suffered manifold afflictions in this life Art thou denyed reliefe for thy body There is no new thing happened unto thee Did not a woman refuse to give water unto Christ Iohn 4. being wearied with his journey And before that Nabal rejected David Shall I take my water and give unto men whom I know not whence they be 1. Sam. 25.11 And therefore well might Dives that Nabal in the Gospel be denied a drop of water seeing hee denyed to succour those in want But though the hearts of men be hardened 2. Sam. 24.14 Isai 41.17 55.1 the mercyes of the Lord are great who calleth him to the waters that hath no money who giveth liberally Iam. 1 5. and upbraideth not as man often doth who calleth not many mighty noble but hee sendeth the springs into the vallies Psal 104.10 hee causeth the precious dew of heavenly comforts to rest upon those that are lowest and meanest in this world And if the deniall of ordinary water hath beene esteemed so great an indignity Virgil. petiit a Nolanis aquam nomen urbis ex carmine suo derasit A Gell. then how should we esteeme of Gods bounty towards us Ic circo nimirum hoc dicta es nomine Nola Noluâ—ris magnis quod placuisse viris Sanuazar in giving the waters of life without money and without price O that we were as sensible of the drought of the soule as we are of the body then should our soules thirst for God for the living God who hath promised not to forsake the poore needy When they seeke water and there is none their tongue faile for thirst Isai 41.17 I the Lord will heare them And if it be so great a benefit to shew the fountaine unto those that bee thirsty Beneficâ—â—m â—st arentibus siâ— sonâ—em â—sten leâ—e Senec. Then returne returne why will yee dye O yee house of Israel All those that have forsaken God and his true Church wherein is the fountaine of living waters and have hewed out cisternes Ier. 2.13 broken cisterns that can hold no water Come againe and yee shall be satisfied with the breasts of consolation 1. Sam 30.11.12 and as that Egyptian by eating of bread and drinking of water found his spirit to come againe to him so you by the use of the Word and Sacraments shall finde the holy Spirit to come into you Come now and let us reason together Shall the soule of holy David
excited to seeke for heavenly blessings and spirituall graces VERSE II. When shall I come and appeare before God IT was Davids resolution One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seeke after Psal 27.4 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life Here you see the performance thereof He doth not grieve for the losse of any outward benefit nor so much as mention his former estate but onely desireth to appeare before God whereby he hoped to obtaine that for which his soule thirsted It is true that God seeth us in all places Whither can I goe from thy face O Lord or whither can I flee from thy presence But his favour and loving countenance is chiefly revealed in the assembly of the Saints Cant. 6.2 My beloved is gone downe into his garden to the beds of spices God is present in the congregation where the prayers praises of his children are offered up as sweet odours before him In it selfe the presence of God may seeme a cause of horrour and feare to us sinners who are as stubble be him a consuming fire Wee know that the Israelites were afraid to come nigh Moses Exod. 34.30 unto whom the Lord had appeared Naturally we are ready to hide our selves from the presence of the Lord God â—en 3.8 But in Christ we have confidence and free accesse and having found him a loving Father we for ever pray Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal 4 which wee desire above any good above all the good in the world The father in the parable said Luk. 15.31 Sonne thou art ever with mee and all that I have is thine So we by presenting our selves before the Lord come to be made partakers of all his blessings Thereby wee are gathered under his wings of providence and mercy Mat. 13.48 Thereby wee are within the compasse of the net and shall be taken with the good Thereby wee have communion with God and his Angels and one with another Then let us come and appeare before God The children of this world are wise in their generation If they have hope of benefite or advancement from any superior how diligent will they be in their attendance Oâ—arem ut oâ—â—endas me 〈◊〉 esse hominâ—â— non ingâ—atum Poâ—â—â— an Nâ—â— indignus quâ—m tu alâ—qâ—â—ndo respicâ—â— How desirous to bee ever in view How politicke in that which they give chusing some Present of use and remembrance Happy were we if wee were thus provident for our soules Then would we set our selves before the Sunne of Righteousnesse the light whereof would be sweet and pleasant unto our eyes Our darke understandings should be illuminated and we made glorious within But if wee neglect such precious means of salvation our danger is greater than that of Queene Esther Esther 4. shee feared to perish by a temporall death because shee went unto the King not being called We may feare to perish both body soule unlesse wee doe come unto the great King who hath so often called us who hath held out the golden scepter of his word unto us Absalom having lived two yeares in Ierusalem and not seene the King shewed the dutifull affection of a good sonne in this particular 2. Sam. 14.32 that hee had rather bee put to death if there were any iniquity in him than to bee any longer deprived of the sight of his father By which example wee may learne to value this royall priviledge that wee have in appearing before God And to count it more deare unto us than life it selfe And yet most men do not value this singular prerogative that God hath given them even the whole world abideth in this sinne There was a day Iob. 1. when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord but the sonnes of men care not for the seaventh day nor any other day wherein to present themselves before him Some there are that be worse than the three guests invited to the marriage Luk 14.18 for they pretended that they could not come these absolutely deny and say they will not come and before that they will come they will pay the earnest peny here and reserve the greatest payment untill the last For with what comfort can they expect to appeare before God in that great day who never cared to appear before him in their life yea rather than they would then appeare they wil call to the hils to cover them There be others that are so encumbred with the affaires of this life that they little thinke of appearing before God untill that hee doth punish them for that neglect As the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ by instruction Gal. 3.24 so the judgements due by the Law for our sinnes have beene as our Schoolemaster to bring us unto Christ by correction When wee have beene as wanton children addicted unto play and omitting that which wee ought most seriously to intend the Lord hath dealt with us as hee did by Lot and his wife being mercifull unto them Gen. 19.16 while they lingred and were backward in departing from Sodom God sent his Angels which layd hold on them and brought them forth While wee have beene unwilling to forsake our sinnes and ascend up into the holy mountaine God hath sent his Angels with their swords drawne some great plague which hath cut off many thousands in the way that could not then come and appeare before God and hath scourged others into the TeÌ„ple which before were carelesse in that duty though formerly wee would not say with Samuel Speake Lord for thy servant heareth then wee have beene enforced to say Heare Lord for thy servant speaketh Being poore wee have spoken supplications wee have humbled our soules in fasting and mourning and the Lord in wrath hath remembred his wonted mercies Some there bee that come abruptly without due preparation as if they were brought thither unawares by some greaâ— strong wind 1. King 19 â— but the Lord was not in that winde They looke for the same immediate and miraculous assistance of Gods spirit which the Apostles had who tooke no thought what to speake Mat. 10.19 for it was given them in the same houre So they take no thought what they heare nor how they heare thinking it shall bee given them in the same houre Their customary performance in the first entrance I cannot relate without indignation how rude and insufficient it is doth appeare unto all men Will God regard that prayer which thou thy selfe dost so little regard Whereas thy Soliloquie then though performed with the best reverence should be but as the Amen to thy private devotions that went before judge in your selves is it comely so to doe Holy David who so earnestly desired to appeare before God when hee had that liberty granted unto him did hee rashly and unadvisedly thrust himselfe into
30.5 mine eyes from teares and my feete from falling Weeping may endure for a night Vt levis quaedam moderata humâ—ctatio terrae affundatur Kecker and bee like unto the dew whereby a gentle moisture is spread upon the earth but joy commeth in the morning In the beginning of that great day when the Sun of righteousnesse doth arise Mala. 4. Isai 25.8 he will wipe away teares from off all faces In the meane while during this disconsolate estate wee receive light and comfort by that day-starre arising in our hearts 2. Pet. 1.19 the glad tidings of the Gospel So that as sorrowfull wee alwayes rejoyce 2. Cor. 6.10 It is most just that teares should bee our meate when as the eyes did at first offend in desiring to eate the forbidden fruite Gen. 3.6 which seemed pleasant unto them and to be desired for food where we must observe the Lords gracious dealing with us who hath taken out the sting out of our sorrow turned that into a blessing which might justly have bin a curse and a punishment For as meate came out of the eater so we receive comfort by our sorrow which might have beene as a lyon to devoure us And as Paul provided for the excommunicate person 2. Cor. 2.7 that hee should not be swallowed up with overmuch heavinesse So the Lord in mercy receiveth us that deserve to be cast out of his presence and giveth us this savoury meate better than all the delicious fare in the world for the which our soules doe blesse him both in life and death As it was a testimony of Iosephs love unto Benjamin Gen. 43.34 that his meale was five times as much as any of his brethren so it is a most sure pledge of God his love when hee giveth us a large portion of this heavenly meate It was a great honour unto Mephibosheth to eate continually at King Davids table 2. Sam. 9.13 but it is much more honourable unto us to eate the same spirituall meat and to drinke the same spirituall drink which David did Then let us covet this heavenly gift and as the Disciples said Lord evermore give us this bread so let us say Iohn 6. Lord evermore give us this meate that wee may live for ever Non in sacris tantum sed etiam in penore tangendo observavêre veteres Turneb Mar. 7.3 4. It was the tradition of the Elders to wash diligently before they did eate And Christ blamed the Pharisees for their superstition therein who made cleane the outside but within were full of wickednesse But this meat doth cleanse that which is within and the outside is cleane also Hereby we our selves are cleansed and all things are cleane unto us We have right unto the creatures to sustaine our bodies and this meate is a preparative unto that spirituall meat By the teares which we shed in our examination wee become in some measure worthy receivers of that food of our soules I may produce some examples of those that have mourned that we being compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses may likewise breake into a shower of teares And first behold how our blessed Saviour loved Lazarus Iohn 11.35 weeping for him being dead And hast thon no love to thine own soule Canst thou not weepe for thy selfe being dead in sin Did hee weepe Luk. 19 41. foreseeing the destruction of Ierusalem And canst not thou mourne to foresee yea to behold before thine eyes the miserable estate of Gods people Doth not the bloud of the Saints and servants of God that is shed move thee to shed some teares Shall Mary Magdalen weepe enough to make a bath for Christs feet And wilt not thou weepe that thine owne soule may bee washed and cleansed Did Peter weepe bitterly And dost thou delude thy selfe as Agag did 1. Sam 15.32 thinking the bitternesse of death to bee past without the bitternesse of sorrow And what shall I more say For the time would faile me to tell of Iob Iob 16.20 Act. 20.19 2. Cor. 2.4 whose eye powred forth teares unto God of Paul who wept with many teares of Ieremiah his Lamentation and of the rest of the Prophets Onely looke upon David who were it not for the disparagement Sic parvis c. may be compared to Heraclitus Et ipse inter deplorandos erat Senec. ever weeping But the one was to be pittied for weakenesse the other to bee imitated for holinesse His eyes were consumed because of griefe Psal 6.7 32.10 His life was spent with griefe Hee mourned because of the oppression of the enemy 43.2 88 â— 55 â— and by reason of his affliction 119.136 38 6. 6.6 Hee mourned in his complaint and rivers of waters ranne down his eyes because they kept not thy Law Hee went mourning all the day long and all the night hee made his bed to swimme His teares were his meate both day and night Let this move us to weepe with him that wept so much Rom. 12.15 knowing Psal 6.8 that God heareth the voice of our weeping Thereby we cast aside every weight both of sinne and sorrow And our eies being throughly washed by the teares of repentance wee come to see those things which the eare hath not heard nor is the tongue able to utter Psal 126.5 And at last after this wet seed time we reape in joy Now let us behold the doubtfull estate of those whose hearts are hard as the Adamant being yet in the bond of iniquity who thinke that this expression of sorrow doth arise out of an effeminate tendernesse But wee may say of laughter it is mad Eccles 2.2 The mirth and jollity of the wicked being like the laughter of a mad man for the which all his friends doe grieve Such being in subjection to the Prince of the ayre Neque solum linguam nutusque servituâ—e constringeret sed etiam oculis à naturâ tributam libertatem eriperet Aelian hee dealeth with them as that tyrant did who having interdicted private conference and discontented gestures and hearing of some that wept mourned he sought to forbid that also lest thereby some conspiracy might begin against him So Satan fearing lest that by the teares of contritioÌ„ they should cast off his heavy yoke and not suffer sinne to reigne in their mortall bodies his chiefe practice is to keepe them from godly sorrow And therefore hee dealeth with them as the Fox doth by the Goose which he taketh by the necke and so hindreth from crying out Hee stoppeth our complaint and prevents our crying unto the Lord Like a thiefe he climbeth up and entreth in at the windowes of this our earthly house and robbeth us of all grace and comfort Hee keepeth the eies for his owne passage making them instruments of wickednesse and brethren in cruelty Whereas if they were like the poole of Heshbon
everlasting weight of glory wherefore acknowledge this to bee thine infirmity rebuke and smite thy selfe saying Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted in mee It must not bee denied that the soule is sometime disquieted when wee are not able to give any reason of it But then it behoveth us to make strict inquisition into our selves and to see if there bee any root of evill Iosh 7. like Achans wedge which is the cause of our trouble If there bee any Ionas lurking in the bottome which may be sufficient not only to cast downe the soule but also to cast away the soule by a tempest of Gods wrath When we find our selves to bee innocent from great offences and acquitted from regarding iniquity wee must with patience wait upon the Lord How unsearchable are his iudgements Rom. 11. verse 33.34 and his wayes past finding out For who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Iob. 11. Loe hee goeth by me and I see him not Hee passeth on also but I perceive him not Behold hee taketh away Deut. 32.39 who can hinder him Hee woundeth and hee healeth hee bringeth low and hee lifteth up Shall wee receive good at the hand of the Lord Iob 2.10 and shall wee not receive evill Have wee learned to abound and be full of spirituall comfort Phil. 4.11 and have we not learned to suffer need and be abased in the sense of our wants and confession of our unworthinesse who are lesse than the least of all his mercies God will have us to see that wee are not able to merit any of his blessings which are wholly in his own disposing It is not in man that walketh Ier. 10 23. to direct his steps There may bee many devices in his heart neverthelesse the counsell of the Lord that shall stand Pro. 19.21 Also wee must know that wee are now in our passage through the vast wildernesse of this troublesome world unto the heavenly Canaan And we were of all men most miserable if our greatest comforts were not reserved for a better life God doth first cast us downe and then raise us up to a glorious estate Though wee walke in the midst of trouble hee will revive us Light is sowne for the righteous Psal 138.7 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart That which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye first 1. Cor. 15. verse 36. So although wee seeme to be without the life of ioy yet we hope to reape everlasting consolation As sorrowfull wee alwayes reioyce 2. Cor. 6.10 There is an outward apparence of griefe There is an inward substance of true ioy But I may well desist from speaking of this sadnesse whereof wee can give no reason when there are so many causes of heavinesse whether we looke upon the sinnes of other men with charitable compassion or upon our own offences with sorrowfull compunction Psal 119.136 How did David lament for the transgressions of the people And may not we take up the complaint of the Prophet Isai 1.6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it How great is the number of them that have sold themselves to worke wickednesse and never thinke of their redemption by Him who paid the ransome for us Quibus contra naturam corpus voluptati anima oneri fuit Salust whose bodies serve them for pleasure and their soules are as a burthen such a burthen as will bee greater than they can beare ready to sinke them to the pit of destruction Yet who doth repent of his wickednesse saying What have I done Every one turned to his course Ier. 8.6 as the horse rusheth into the battell Which of them doth search their heart by the light of the Word as with a candle and say as justly they may inverting these words of David Why art thou not cast down O my soule and why art thou not disquieted within mee Wherefore leaving them unto this examination let us reflect upon our selves and as the Circle Circulus fortitudinâ— atque capacitate caeteris figuris praecedit Clavius which doth returne upon it selfe is the strongest and most capacious figure and may bee resembled by the shape of a mans body Vmbilicum esse centrum c. Iul. Scal. So if wee doe returne unto our selves and search our owne hearts wee shall become more strong and capable of grace The opinion of Aristotle is to bee preferred before that of Plato The one held Visio fit recipiendo Arist Emittendo spiritum animalem Plato Keckerm that our sight was by receiving the image of the object into the eye The other by sending out those opticke rayes unto the object It will be our wisedome to keepe within our owne bounds and to looke into our selves rather than to exceed in curiosity to discover the blemishes of other men Like her whom they feigned to have used her sight onely when shee went abroad Lamia in vimineum cophinum oculos exemptiles inâ—iciâ—bat Erasmus but not when shee returned to her owne house Wee ought rather to look into our selves with David who seemeth here to strike his hand upon his breast saying Why art thou full of heavinesse O my soule God onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men but by this private search 2. Chron. 6.38 1. King 8.38 every man may know the sore and the griefe and the plague of his owne heart and may find that his foule is cast downe when it is surcharged with thorny cares which choke the good seed O curvae in terris animae coelestâ—um inanes Persius and maketh him to become unfruitfull Can that souldier fight the good fight of faith who intangleth himselfe with the things of this life Habak 2.6 Woe to him that ladeth himselfe with thicke clay Such a man may in vaine beate the ayre but hee cannot runne with patience unto the race that is set before him Heb 12.1 unlesse hee doth cast aside every weight that may hinder him therein At the time of death wee see how dangerous and offensive it is by clamour to interrupt the soule in its departure from the body O that wee could as heedfully practise this during our whole life 1. Cor. 15.31 Every good man with Saint Paul doth dye daily being at all times ready to yeeld up his spirit How prudent should wee bee to avoyd all meanes of disturbance that our soule may not bee vexed and disquieted within us as it is oftentimes through distrust and infidelity when there is an inward combat betweene the flesh and the spirit the one lusting against the other Gal. 5.17 and being contrary the one to the other Gen. 25.22 like Iacob and Esau strugling in the wombe Whereas if Christ did dwell in our hearts by faith Ephes 3.17 wee should overcome the world and bee delivered from this vexation
comparison All other writings have either withered and beene consumed by the worme of time like those bookes that Salomon wrote of trees or have bin plucked up by the roots through the malice of some tyrant Desunt nonnulla or if still extant many branches are falne off diverse parts are wanting Desunt pluâ—ima Or lastly though entire and whole yet are they as the Authors themselves subject to infirmity being like the tree of Knowledge of good and evill therein wee may know some good to be collected and some evill of errour to be reformed or ignorance to be pittied or sin the worst of evils to be avoyded Onely this booke which alone deserves that title though in part most ancient doth still continue one word thereof shall not perish being like that tree of Life whereof if wee eate we shall live for ever The booke of Psalms hath alwayes beene in great estimation being as a spirituall library of most kinds of doctrine fit for meditation a common treasury of all good learning a rich magazin furnished with spirituall armour to withstand any assault of our Adversary The which was so frequently cited by Christ his Disciples who derive not fewer than threescore and foure testimonies from two and forty severall Psalmes Herein wee may see an abridgement of the history of the Church even from the Creation untill those times and many prophecies of those things which should come to passe in succeeding ages Here is the Law and the judgements thereof when hee relateth Gods dealing with the wicked and the confusion of the ungodly And here is the Gospel and the sweet comforts thereof when he sheweth Gods mercy and love towards his children So that it is most usefull as for the Church in generall which hath appointed a more frequent use of this than of any other portion of Scripture So likewise for every one in particular and that in every estate Many of these Psalms doe resemble the life of a Christian for though in the former verses there is mention of sorrow and trouble and manifold afflictions yet in the conclusion there is consolation and thankesgiving And the ayme and desire is so to doe the will of our heavenly Father upon earth as it is done in heaven wherein wee may heare a voyce like that of the Angels saying Blessing and glory and wisedome and thankesgiving and honour and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever But when all is said that can bee the heart of a good Christian will indite more than the pen of a ready Writer in the praise of these Psalmes who in his passage through the valley of this world doth make them a wel of comfort Deformitas corporit turpitudine certabat inâ— eâ—â— Then may wee abhorre the censure of that evill Angel Politian whose heart was worse than appeared in his outward deformity foming out his owne shame by preferring Pindars Odes before Davids Psalms Ferrea epithera Pâ—ndari drosse and iron before the purest gold The chiefe Author of these Psalms was David the King for that is the title which is given to him alone among many Kings Mat. 3. as being an example unto them all Nor did those women intend him lesse honour in saying that he had slaine his tenne thousands 1. Sam. 18.7 which is the just sum whereby the name of Emperour hath since beene deserved â—sal 78 7â— Him God tooke from following the Ewes great with young to feede Iacob his people whom hee fed in the integrity of his heart and brought them to greene pastures plenty of outward blessings and still waters the pure worship of God and meanes of salvation And like a good sheapherd he was willing to lay downe his life for his people when he speaketh Let thine hand 1. Chro. 21.17 O Lord God be on me but as for these sheepe what have they done And yet this precious Diamond though he were made the more eminent and illustrious by his predecessor Saul who was as a foile unto him yet was he not without his flaw and infirmity You see him upon the roofe of his house which prospect was another gallery for his sight to walke in where he burned in lust after her that washed her selfe But in his repentance hee bathed himselfe in his teares Psal 6.6 wherewith he watered his couch You see him numbring his people making flesh his arme Psal 40.12 But after hee doth number his sinnes and confesse his iniquities to bee more than the haires of his head None ever fearched deeper in his foundation of sorrow nor reared an higher building of comfort unto his own soule So powerfull was his repentance which maketh those things that were as if they had never beene that by Bathsheba her selfe hee obtained that son which did succeed him in the Throne So great was the love that hee received from his people 2. Sam 21.17 18.1 19.41 though unstable as water that hee was esteemed as the light of Israel worth many thousands of them And the men of Iuda and Israel strove who should have the great'st right in him Such grace and favour did he find before the Lord that he was esteemed a man after his own heart most eminent for his zeale most excellent for his praising of God I can hardly desist from commendation of him but I heare him speaking as the Angel to Iohn Doe it not for I am thy fellow-servant So that I ascribe all glory to God who gave such great gifts to the sons of men His sepulchre continued after Christs time Act. 2 2â— his fame and renowne shall endure unto the worlds end The occasion of this Psalme wee may safely beleeve to bee Absalom who like as Domitian sought to defraud his father the warlike Vespasian Ceâ—ialis fidem tentavit an sibi imperium traditurus foret Tacit of the governement And his brother Titus the delicacie of mankind that should succeed So hee did endevour to obtaine the Kingdome from the valiant David his Father and to prevent his brother Salomon the wisest of men Using the worst meanes to fulfill his desire His pretence was that there was none appointed to do justice A true complaint in him that found so much mercie And by his outward shew of humility courtesie like a serpent going upon the belly he stole away the hearts of the people O Viper O generation of Vipers thus to destroy the parent of your country whose greatest revenge for this your treacherie would have been to have suffered you to accomplish your unlawfull desires Nil rex maiâ—s minari maâ—è parentibus posset quam ut abiret è regno Senec. And as the ancient manner of Kings was when their subjects provoked them by their evill carriage as the greatest punishment to have forsaken his dominion Had their treason beene legitimated by the successe what an happy alteration had they made There was none to be
causes doth the Hart desire the water But our reason to pant after the Lord the fountaine of life is much greater which doth not only cleanse us from the outward leprosie of the body as Iordane did Naaman healing all our diseases but from the inward leprosie of the soule purifying us from all our sinnes and corruptions Neither can wee pretend that this precious water is hidden and sealed up from us Veteres ad purificationâ—m non quavis aqua contentos sed vivam c. Tuâ—neb For this Fountaine is open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in And the water thereof is stirred not by one alone but by many Angels And that not at certaine seasons onely Iohn 5.4 but as well out of season as in season That so not onely he that steppeth in first but how many so ever shall step in may be healed of whatsoever diseases they have Wee are often called upon by the preaching of the Word to wash and be cleane And the danger is great if wee neglect it Iohn 13. â— For unlesse wee bee thus washed we have no part with Christ Then let us cleanse not our feet and hands onely as in ancient times they did daily being made uncleane by labour nor as Peter addeth our feet Brachia crura quotidie abluebant Senec. our hands and head all which are ready instruments of unrighteousnesse therefore have great need to bee purged Isay 1.6.16 But seeing from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot there is no soundnesse in us let us wash the whole man and make us cleane not with the Pharisee the outside onely but as Christ came by water and by bloud so both the outward inward part must bee made cleane Nunquam difficilius obsequantes aegrotos habuêre olim medici quam c. Causabâ—n It was a great complaint of Physitians that they never found their Patients more opposite and impatient than when they did forbid them the use of baths so great was the delight and contentment that they received therby though pernicious unto them But here being a fountaine able to save us make us sound if we will come unto it and yet how few there bee that will make use thereof Are we not more strange and unwilling than ever that Leper was to obey the Prophet that badde him wash seven times Like those which wallowed in the burning sand Nâ—â—â— non tepiâ—â—is conâ—olâ—e 〈◊〉 corpus areuiâ— Sammoâ—â— c. Ensâ— lat 10. or walked naked in the sun to drye up the moysture of their bodies we had rather bee scorched and inflamed by the heare of our lusts than thus to bee cleansed from all sinne and pollution In the old Law a fountaine wherein there was plenty of water should coÌ„tinue clean though any uncleane thing did fall thereinto Levit. 1â— 36. Surely this Fountaine doth not onely continue holy and pure but will alsâ— make our sinfull soules to bâ—â— cleane if they be washed therein Then leade us O Lorâ— to this living fountaine and wash us throughly from our iniquities that wee may bee presented before thee without spot and blemish The resemblance which is here used is very fit in regard of that warre and hatred betweene the Hart and the Serpent Gen. 3. The first and greatest wound wee ever received was by the Serpent the poyson whereof doth still abide within us Since which time there hath beene and ever shall be enmity betweene us and the Serpent Satan himselfe And the seed of the Serpent both wicked men which are his spawne and our sinnes and vices which come from him and are as dangerous to the soule as the biting of Serpents was to the gainsaying Israelites Numb 21.6 bringing men to that fire which never can be quenched In this estate of our warfare we are to pant after the Lord and if our heele bee bruised as in the originall of the Gospel wee are forewarned to expect it If that wicked one doth touch us and wee bee hurt by the malice and subtilty of that old Serpent we are to crie unto the Lord to deliver us from this body of death Rom. 7. and if wee overcome we must give thankes unto God through Iesus Christ our Lord. The reasons are divers why David or any faithfull man may be compared unto the Hart Gen. 1.30 This creature doth continue in the use of that meate which was given unto it in the beginning eating every greene herbe And a Christian hath the same heavenly food and nourishment for his soule which Adam had in the estate of innocencie it is his meate to doe the will of his heavenly Father and to contemplate his glorious workes Metusone congregaâ— Stat. Agmina cervi Pulverulenta fuga glomerant Virgil. The Harts keepe together in herds not alone like beasts that devoure the prey and are helpefull to one another in swimming Maria tranant capiâ—a imponentes precedentium clunibuâ— Plini So there is a communion betweene those that are godly who seeke not their owne good but the good of others bearing one anothers burthen and being spirituall they restore such as are overtaken in any fault The Hart hath alwayes beene the emblem of speed So a Christian doth make haste unto the Lord In volucri tonuis fictucia cursu Star and desireth to runne the race that hee may obtaine the price The Hart Cornibus armatur trepidandis quis tamen illum c. Natal Comes though hee be armed yet doth not use the same either for to harme other creatures or to defend himselfe So a Christian though he hath strength and power yet he had rather suffer than offer an injury and being smitten hee will not turne againe unlesse it bee in obedience as he is commanded that by patient enduring hee may heape coales upon his enemies head Nunquid oâ—â—s lupum perequitur The Hart is pursued and followed so a Christian is persecuted oppression is as the Genius of piety which ever attends upon it But our comfort is wee know the world hated Christ before it hated us and he was tempted that hee might succour us in all our temptations whereof this is none of the least There is no beast that hath more enemies than the Hart Sic Cerva leonem Ovid. Star Ceu tigride cerva Hâ—rcana cum pressa tremit Sil. Ital Cerva cruentis circumventa lupis Statius Livi l. 10. Omnium bestiarum inimâ—cisâ—imus homo Iul. Scal. in Arist For beside the Serpents the Lion the Tigre the Wolfe and Dogs and the like seeke to destroy it and a more cruell enemy than all these Man So a Christian hath many enemies that compasse him about and rise up against him And as the Hart is not killed like the sheepe that is led to the slaughter but there is much sport and pleasure in the death thereof So there is great delight and contentment to the wicked
bodily disease looked daily when his panting should have an end and would often say Quousque DomineÌ„ How long O Lord And some space before his death which was just in the same moment when the sunne did set his prayers were nothing else but an expression of his souls panting after the Lord. The death of Coma was thought to be very rare Intra pectâ—s incâ—usa aâ— mafiâ—â—m sâ— repeâ—â— c. Val. Maâ— lib 9. cap. 13. who dyed by his violent retaining holding in of his breath But now there is nothing more frequent than this kinde of death though not of the body yet of the soule in those men which doe never pant after the Lord. Wee thinke it bee the signe of a dying man when his breath growes cold And our coldnesse in seeking after the Lord doth discover that the soule doth languish and is voyd of the life of grace For if our soules were inflamed with zeale the Kingdome of heaven should suffer violence Mat. 11.12 and bee taken by force VERSE II. My soule thirsteth for God for the living God When shall I come and appeare before God IN that expression which David used of panting after the Lord wee may well observe that it was not a weake and faint desire but most strong and forcible Now that wee not thinke it to bee too violent to endure and to passe away as a sodain flame in his outward speech rather than to burn constantly in the holy disposition of his heart it pleaseth God to perfect his owne good work and to give him this heavenly thirst And nothing is more frequent than for these two Aeris alternos angustat pulmo meatus Rescâ—soque nocent suspiria dura palato Lâ—â—an Oraque retro sorbet anhela sitis Statius Panting and Thirst to accompany each other If we take them as perturbations of the body that may be said of them which is spoken of worldly sorrow that they drye the bones and cause death But as in this place being rich endowments of the soule they bring life and peace and joy By those the outward man doth perish by these the inward man is renewed daily There is a thirst which beginneth when we hang upon our Mothers breasts and continues in the strength and vigour of our lives and doth not leave us in the time of old age but even to the very end we hold a just proportion with this last age of the dying world Nec sitis est extincta prius quam vita bibendo Ovid in desiring wine and strong drinke that thereby our vitall heat and radicall moisture may be preserved So that through abuse this vice of intemperate drinking seemeth to have a speciall right in these dayes wherein wee live The uncleane drunkard thinketh there is no other thirst but onely that with which hee is possessed nor any better meanes whereby to obtaine health unto himselfe or to confer it upon others than by profound drinking whereunto he addresseth himselfe as if hee were to encounter with his greatest enemy Persae potum tanquam adversarium aggredâ—entes Aelian and doth more than fill himselfe with strong drinke inflaming wines and hot waters and though improperly drinking more than these only to kindle a desire of drinking more Vt Anglorum corpora in Barbarorum naturam degenerasse videntur Camden in Elizab. I affect antiquity herein and will not name that which I finde was never anciently named Hereby doth hee deprive himselfe of his reasonable soule and becomes voyd of sense and worse than the bruite beasts having no life left but onely that of the plants not being able to move and helpe himselfe And which I cannot mention without horrour how many are pierced with the dart of death as with the javelin of Phinehas in the act of wickednesse Iudg. 4.21 whose end is like unto that of Sisera after he had drunke at the same time to bee smitten in the head and deprived of life And whereas the death of a good man is called a sleepe the death of the drunkard is contrary whose senses being bound in the time of his life that hee could not use them by death hee is awakened Then doth hee see his estate to be miserable by the paines of losse and sense where againe hee thirsteth and cannot obtaine one drop of water to coole his tongue But why doe I speake to him who is not capable to heare whose case is most fearfull For whereas other sinners may bee convinced by reason he by the wilfull losse of understanding hath made himselfe a foole and is in danger of hell fire The contentious man thirsteth after the waters of Meribah and the cruell man for they must bee joyned thirsteth after bloud M. Anten vino gravis sitiebat tamen sanguinem Senec. Cyri caput in Val. Max. wherein is the life Nothing can satisfie him but the fall of his enemy But the bloudy minded man shall not live out halfe his dayes for though the divine vengeance should not overtake him as for the most part it doth with rancor and malice hee consumes himselfe and drinkes his owne bloud whose estate is worse than a Serpents for hee beareth about him such a poyson as doth destroy his owne life The covetous man is thirsty as the horse-leach Pro. 30 15. crying Give Give The adulterer refusing to drinke waters out of his owne cisterne desireth to drink stolne waters 9.17 which hee thinketh to bee sweet And the adulteresse thirsteth for that bitter water which causeth the thigh to rot a common judgement of these times Num 12.18.21 The swearer is so thirsty that he cannot speake without an oath in his mouth whose cursing shall come like water into his bowels Psal 109.18 and like oyle into his bones In a word every sinner thirsteth for the water of Marah which will be as gall in the belly and bitternesse in the later end Of all which I may speake as Samuel of the sons of Iesse The Lord hath not chosen these to obtaine a crowne of life But this holy thirst of the soule for God for the living God And whom should the soule thirst after but God alone For with thee is the Fountaine of life Psal 36.8.9 thou dost make me drinke of the river of thy pleasures 23.5 My cup runneth over 63.5 My soule shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse 65.9 Our gracious God doth visit the earth 104.11 and watereth the ridges thereof abundantly and giveth drinke to every beast of the field Doth God take care for oxen 1. Cor. 9 9. then much more for man 1. Tim. 5.23 to whom hee giveth liberty to use a little wine which makes glad the heart But most of all for the soule of man and therefore he calleth Ho Isai 55.1 every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and Iohn 4.14 whosoever drinketh of this water that
full of this holy water hee should not be admitted thereby Heb. 12.17 If Esau found no place of repentance though hee sought it carefully with teares what can wee thinke of those that come short of him who as wee may feare came short of heaven Where it is said that in place of torment Mat. 8.12 Sum Nilus sumque Aetna simul Sanaz There shall be weeping the punishment is most just for them that never mourned in the time of their life The light of the body is the eye Luke 1â— 34 The light of the soule are the teares in the eye And as One Gallum Terrinium captum repentè ocâ—â—is ob ad media mori destinantem Sueton. who had lost the sight of his eyes did resolve to famish his body so they that want these teares doe seeke to overthrow the good estate of their soules not having this heavenly nourishment which David had Whose teares were his meat day and night VERSE III. While they continually say unto mee Where is thy God AS the friends of Iob that came to mourne with him did sit downe by him and none spake a word for they saw that his griefe was very great Iob 2.13 So likewise if we that passe by the way will enter into the house of mourning and consider and behold the greatnesse of Davids sorrow wee shall bee dumbe with silence and our sorrow also will bee stirred And yet these his enemies having no regard doe persecute him whom the Lord had smitten as if the corection of the Almighty were too mercifull they are inraged with bitter malice against him It was not one or some few but many of them that spake thus unto him Nor did the storme sodainly blow over but they persevered in this their fury And having singled him out they give him no time to recover strength but make him to be the only mark at whom they shoote their arrowes Psal 64.3 even bitter words And this they did not in the time of prosperity but in his greatest necessity 71.11 when as they thought God had forsaken him and there was none to deliver him 2. Sam. 16 9. then these dead dogs cursed the King They doe not upbraid him with any outward losse for they knew how lightly hee esteemed all earthly things but having travailed with iniquity Psal 7 1â— and conceived mischiefe they bring forth falshood and say Where is thy God As all the city cryed out when the Arke of God was taken And the wife of Phinehas about the time of her death named the child Ichabod â— Sâ—m 4. verse 1â— 2â— that is Where is the glory which was then departed from Israel So these his enemies thinking to make his sorrow to be deadly and desperate doe say unto him Where is thy God in whom thou hast heretofore gloried as if thou hadst some peculiar right and interest in him Numb 16.3 whereas all the congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them He hath bin and ever will bee a God of mercy unto us And because the cry of that innocent bloud which thou hast shed is come up before him Hee will arise and shew himselfe a God of vengeance in punishing thy sinnes So that thou art taken to thy mischiefe thou bloudy man and thou man of Belial Iob. 4.8 8 2â— Having plowed iniquity and sowne wickednesse thou must reape the same for God will not helpe the evill doers Yea rather than thy sinnes shall goe unpunished thine owne sonne shall lift up himselfe against thee Thus did hee beare in his bosome the reproach of all the mighty people Before this Psal 89.50 he was checked for the pride and naughtinesse of his heart and that by a brother which should rather have beene a comfort unto him Hee was scornefully used and counted as a servant that had broke away from his Master where he formerly deserved kindnesse Hee was cursed with a grievous curse by Shimei who threw stones at him that in disgrace was called The Stone as if all his credit came by hitting Goliah and cast dust at him thereby telling him that God had raised him out of the dust but now hee had provoked the Lord. Hee whose tongue was his glory who made so many divine hymnes in praise of God yet was hee a proverb to the wicked and the song of the drunkards Psal 69.11 12. And what could bee more grievous unto him than to bee reproached for that faith and confidence which hee reposed in the Almighty as if his former profession were nothing but hypocrisie Also the measure of his griefe was the fuller because hee saw that this their calumny and words of hatred did reflect upon God himselfe as if hee should forsake those that put their trust in him And therefore hee mourned because they violently ranne upon their owne destruction Psal 1â—9 13â— in sinning against the lawes of God And such is our condition that when God hath gathered us under his wings whosoever doth seek to hurt us they strike at God himselfe and in our persecution hee also is persecuted Neither did they wound him with their tongues onely which they thought to bee their owne Psal 140.3 having adders poyson under their lips whereby being stung he lifted up his eies unto the Lord But also by their disdainfull carriage they vexed his righteous soule from day to day Psal 109.26 Isai 59 9. A tergo quâ—m nulla ciconia â—â—â—it Persius Vel coâ— moâ—â— vel digiti in â—â—aâ—iorie Câ—â—â—bon It being usuall to shake the head and to put forth the finger in disgrace Looke how it was in the dayes of David so it is now and so it will be unto the comming of the Son of man If a good man bee in affliction and sicknesse God chastising every sonne whom hee receiveth some there bee that will say Psal 3.2 There is no helpe for him in God thinking that bodily diseases are alwayes a signe of Gods wrath If hee fall into any offence through infirmity for who is hee that sinneth not they 1. Cor. 13. being uncharitable will rejoyce in his iniquity As when David wept and made sack-cloth his garment it was to his reproach Psal â—9 10 so the least spot upon the garment of those that mourn before the Lord shall bee made to appeare for their disgrace Yea though they walke wisely and circumspectly yet there bee some that perversly will make that which is straight to be crooked When David in an holy zeale and heavenly joy did dance before the Lord yet even for that Michal the wife in his bosome did despise him in heart Many that bee now in the same bosome of the Church and hope hereafter to bee in the same bosome of Abraham will speake contemptuously of those that desire to have a good coÌ„science in all things Heb. 12. â—8 and are willing to live honestly With the
may bee compassed about with that brazen wall of a good conscience and secured from the censures of uncharitable men as Mithridate is made of the viper so let us make that to bee our Antidote which is here spoken by those that had sharpened their tongue like a serpent Psal 140 3 judging our selves that wee may not be condemned by them In the time of prosperity let this bee ever sounding in thine eares Where is thy God And thou shalt bee kept from wrath and misery when they do wound thine heart while they continually say unto thee Where is thy God Had Eve thought upon these words they would have bin an ornament of grace unto her head and chaines about her necke Shee would not have beleeved the father of lyes before the God of truth but for want thereof shee miscarriâ—d by eating that forbidden fruite for which her soule longed Had David thought upon these words being on the roofe of his house hee would have said as hee did at another time The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy-worke Then would he not have defiled himselfe with her that was purified from her uncleannesse Neither should these his enemies have said unto him Where is thy God And although this affliction be grievous for the present yet wee receive many benefits thereby which may bee sufficient to deterre an evill speaker from that outrage Thereby wee are put in minde to examine our selves and to humble our soules for our former sinnes We know they could not speak thus without Gods permission Wee hope that the Lord will requite good for their cursing We mourn before him wee duely consider his dealing with us and fervently pray to be set at liberty as David when they spake thus unto him he had teares for his meate hee remembred these things and hee powred out his soule in him VERSE IIII. When I remember these things I powre out my soule in me FOrmerly hee powred out his teares and now hee powreth out his soule For as the body without the spirit is dead so our teares without the soule are dead also Wee know that young Ptolomy being in Cesars custody he wept before him Regius animus disciplinis failacisâ—imiâ— cruditus Hirt. But when hee was dismissed hee warred against him So there be too many that while they be under the rod of correction doe lament greatly feeling present anguish and fearing future torment But being set at liberty they return to their pollutions which sheweth plainly that though they shed many teares they did not with holy David powre out their soules Hee remembred the reproach of the wicked for how could hee forget that which was so often objected against him and this made his soule melt for heavinesse Psal 119.28 Iob 30.16 and be powred out upon him as Iob speaketh Hee remembred his happy estate which compared with the misery now suffered did augment his sorrow Lam. 2.19 and made him powre out his heart like water before the face of the Lord as Ieremiah doth counsell And hee hoped to bee restored unto his former joy and to finde comfort by prayer and therefore hee powred out his soule before the Lord as Hannah practised 1. Sam. 1.15 And hee was inlarged by trusting in Gods mercies Hee received a twofold benefit by considering the dayes of old the yeares of ancient times The one was to sustaine him in his trouble Psal 77.5.10 by remembring the yeares of the right hand of the most High who had dealt bountifully with him Heb. 11.21 And as Iacob worshipped leaning upon the top of his staffe So he in this weak estate did repose himselfe upon the grace and favour of the Almighty The other was to makâ—â—â—â—e sinnes to be as detestable unto him as they were abominable before God by calling to minde how gracious the Lord had beene towards him how unworthily hee had requited the Lords goodnesse and how great blessings hee had lost by the sinnes hee committed For I had gone with the multitude even with all the house of Israel being of one heart and of one minde But now I am constrained to flee with my houshold with strangers and exiles I went with them to the house of God But now I goe from the house of God Nor dare I suffer Zadok who should be a Seer to carry the Arke which ought to abide in the city with mee in this my private condition lest that anger of the Lord which smote Uzzah bee kindled against mee also I went with the voice of joy and praise playing upon all maner of instruments with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet blessing the people in the name of the Lord But now we weepe and have our heads covered I went with a multitude that kept holy-day unto whom I gave bread flesh and wine Yea I danced before the Lord and offered burnt offerings peace offerings But now I may feare that I am appointed as a sheepe for the slaughter and that the Lord will have no delight in me In this disconsolate estate hee flyes unto God by prayer And as he powred out his complaint before the Lord when hee was pursued by Saul Psal 142.2 and was delivered so now hee powred out his soule and thereby became more imâ—râ—gâ—â—ble than hee should â—ave beene by abiding in the strong hold of Zion Having found such safety therein he commends the use thereof unto others Trust in him at all times yee people Pâ—â—l â—1 8 Powre out your heart before him God is a refuge for us In the time of trouble wee must renounce all strength and worthinesse of our owne and then God will have mercy upon us Wee must empty our selves that so wee may be filled with heavenly comfort How glorious things are spoken of Prayer in the holy Scripture Moses would not let God alone untill hee had quenched that wrath which waxed hot against the Israelites Exod. 3â— 10 Iacob would not â—et Him goe Gen 32 28. untill hee had obtained a blessing and was â—â—â—refore called Israâ—l It is â—â—ported of Archimedes â—hat hee vainely presumed by â—is art hee could move the whole earth if he might have beene lifted up from it But wee know assuredly that righteous Elijah being cast downe upon the earth 1. King 18 4â— did move the heavens themselves Iam. 5 7. hee prayed earnestly that it might not raine Hee prayed againe and the heaven gave raine So that prayer may bee compared to the ladder which Iacob saw in his dreame Gen. 28.12 It was set upon the earth and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the Angels ascending and descending on it By prayer men made a little lower than the Angels doe ascend and the Angels doe descend for our protection to pitch their tents about us As Ionathan climbed up the sharpe rocke and subdued his enemies 1. Sam. 14.13 So by prayer wee overcome principalities and powers
but hee went with the multitude VERSE IIII. I went with them to the house of God BEcause the greatest number doe goe in the broad way that leadeth to destruction Mat. 7.13 and wee are forbidden to follow a multitude to doe evill Exod. 23.2 therefore upon the first mention he presently addeth the place whither hee went with them which was to the house of God Hee was not occasioned thus to doe in imitation of others which did the like though it were to bee wished that wee had attained thus farre that wee would be followers together of him Psal 3.17 and marke those which walke after this ensample But as it is more blessed to give than to receive Act. 20 35. so it is a greater happinesse to give this good example unto others than to take it from them Thus David shined as a Light in the world Phil. 2.15 that the people being illuminated by this pillar of fire might come to the estate of blessednesse And thus wee Vt sidera contrarium mundo iter intendunt ita sapiens Senec. Et qui exemplo aliis esse debetis aliorum exemplo peccetis potius quam alii vestro recte sacitis Livi. lib. 3. if wee desire to shine as the stars whose motion is contrary to the world wee should labour to rectifie others rather than to bee depraved with their vices Though wee faile of this holy ambition or want meanes and ability to bee as Leaders in this noble army yet wee may bee drawne by the example of the multitude which for the most part use to bee very powerfull to joyne with the assembly in all heavenly duties And not to do like unto those which stand convicted because they will not goe with the flocke to heare the voyce of the shepheard Nor yet like those which discover their backwardnesse by comming after the multitude to the house of God Whereas it were more commendable to goe with them or before them Such may feare to receive a curse in the end for their negligent sloth Occupet extremum scabies Horat. rather than the blessing in the conclusion In Carvans which goe unto the Temple at Ierusalem Sandys the hindermost are exposed unto the greatest danger of the free-booters And in this passage to the house of God they that are last may soone bee surprised by the enemy and hindered in their dull proceeding Whereas if wee were indued with the Spirit like those Worthies which brake through the hoste of the Philistims 2. Sam. 23. to draw water wee would overcome all impediments that wee may obtaine the water of life And as the chaines did fall from the hands of Peter so we should cast off all incumbrances wherewith our feete are bound that wee may runne the wayes of thy commandements Yea then wee would thinke Gods house to be like Goshen inlightened by his gracious countenance And to be debarred from it more grievous than all the plagues and judgements of Egypt There the frogges came into the house and chamber of Pharaoh Exod. 8.3 And thou hast noysome lusts and uncleane thoughts in thine heart which should bee the throne of the great King They had thick darkenes which might bee felt 1â— 2â— so that no man rose from his place But thy grosse darkenesse which hath overspread the whole man is the more fearefull because thou hast no feeling thereof whereby thou dost continue in the estate of wrath as at the first There was the death of the first-borne in whom pâ—rents seem to live even when they are dead â—2 29. And thou destroyest thine owne soule which in the beginning did give life to thy body and by which the righteous shall live for ever in blisse happinesse And yet though Gods judgements be so great and terrible upon those that want or neglect this meanes of perfect freedome and the mercy and deliverance so rich and plenteous that is offered thereby how foolish and carelesse are most men in their contemptuons vilifiing and disdainfull reiecting of this blessed liberty Mention is made of one that was slaine by the people which trode upon him in the gate 2 King â— ver 17. when with greedy violence they strove for their bodily sustenance but there is no such violence offered in seeking for that heavenly food and yet we live not by bread but by the Word which is exhibited unto us in the house of God And in the time of famine of warre 1. King 8. ver 37 38. of pestilence and any other calamity wee finde release by the prayers and supplications which are offered up unto the Lord. Come then and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob He will teach us of his waies Isai 2.3 and wee shall walke in his paths One day in his courts is better than a thousand How glad was David when they said unto him Psal 84.10 122 1â— Let us goe into the house of the Lord As here he testifieth that when hee went into the house of God it was VERSE IIII. With the voyce of joy and praise AND now wee would thinke that the whole world should follow him Omnes cendunt ad gaudium Senec. for what man is there that doth not labour for ioy But as some have put out the element of fire affirming that there is no other but this grosse terrestriall fire which wee use So most men thinke there is no other ioy but this which they find in their sensuall delights True it is that there may bee a confused sound of ioy in earthly pleasures but the voyce of ioy is onely in heavenly things And as that excellent musick of the voyce is to bee preferred before the harmony of instruments without life whether pipe or harpe though they give a distinction in their sounds So this ioy doth farre transcend all those vaine and empty delights which wee finde here upon earth It is reported of some that they have beene able to containe their greatest ioy within themselves Metellus summum gaudium intrase cont insit Val. Max. that none could take notice thereof Nec sunt grata tibi gaudia siqua atent Martial but Davids ioy was so great that out of the abundance of his heart hee could not forbeare to speake with his mouth And ever since in our best mirth and reioycing wee seeke to imitate the voyce of David in singing of Psalmes Iam. 5.13 whereby wee endeavour to bee composed and prepared for that life when wee shall alwayes bee lauding the name of the Lord Psal 108.1 2â— And as David saith I my selfe will awake early I will sing and give praise even with my glory Soe we that are dead in Christ shall then rise first out of those beds where wee have slept and rested that wee may for ever sing praises unto the Lord. These two Ioy and Praise are so ioyned togethâ—r
mercy give him all good blessings needfull for him after hee had waded through these troubles which hee now endured In the meane while being deprived of his former liberty of worshipping the Lord in the assembly of the Saints hee doth stirre up the gifts and graces that were in him by remembring the goodnesse of God and the blessings which he had received In so doing he becomes a good example unto all them that are robbed of that blessed meanes of comfort which they formerly enjoyed and unto all inhabitants of villages which in the old law were counted as the fields of the countrey Levit. 25.31 And as too frequently wanting a faithfull watch-man are more exposed to the treacherous assaults of the enemy than Cities environed with Gods favour and enriched with the pledges of his love that they would provide against the worst famine and keepe those things which have beene committed unto them 2. Tim. 1 14. 1. Tim. 6.19 laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternall life As Paul gave direction for the collection of the Saints that every one upon the first day of the weeke should lay by him in store as God hath prospered him So wee for the furtherance of the worke of our sanctification in our first dayes which wee ought to remember to keepe holy in remembrance of our Creator while wee reside in places that are enlightened with Gods favour should lay up against the time of want Dan 6.10 that as Daniel prayed and gave thankes unto God his windowes being open in his chamber towards Ierusalem So wee looking unto the former part of our lives may bee excited to prayer and thankesgiving He is a wise sonne that gathereth in summer Pro 10.5.14 6.8 laying up knowledge and keeping instruction Salomon might justly produce the Ant gathering her food in harvest thereby to convince the slothfulnesse of most men when the least and meanest of the creatures shall exceed man in prudence And surely most men if they should rightly consider of the former part of their lives they could not with David here remember God in so doing for God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 nor his feare before their eyes Their dayes have beene few but the evils therein committed very many Where the youth is vaine the age is like to bee unprofitable when nothing shall be left but the lees and dregs of our life Eorum animi mâ—â—es aetate fluxi dolis haud difficulter capiâ—bantur Salust As Catiline desired the acquaintance of young men who being plyable were soone taken with his fraudulent baits So Satan laboureth to bring such unto destruction and when the strong man doth get possession in time of strength he is not readily cast out Difficulter reciduntuâ— vitia quae nobiscum crevciuâ—t Senec It is an hard thing to pare off those vices which have grown up together with our selves Wherefore let us so order and dispose of this instant time in doing good that the use which wee make thereof may bee beneficiall unto us for the present and coÌ„fortable in remembrance hereafter Whereas David remembreth God from these places here named we may collect That if we be well affected there is no place wherein we may not be put in mind of the bounty and goodnesse of God Whose eyes runne to and fro 2. Chro. 16.9 throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him And as Ioseph in a place of pleasure provided against death which at first sprung up in a garden So those places which in themselves are most delightfull may by our good improovement become most profitable whereof I may have occasion to treat hereafter if it shall please God to give life and ability In Christs Kingdome every valley shall be exalted Isai 40 4. and every mountaine shall be brought low 1. King 20.28 The Lord is God of the hills as of Hermon and Missar as also of the plaine as this land of Iordane From the valley which adjoyneth to the river Gen. 48.16 where fishes grow into a multitude and is thereby made the more fruitfull we may learne to be humble God will give grace unto us And by the hills we may be put in mind 22.8 of Abraham his offering up his sonne upon a mountaine of Christ his transfiguration upon an high mountaine Mat. 17. of his frequent praying upon Mount Olivet Luk. 22.39 and at last his ascension upon the same Mount Act. 1.12 Which may instruct us to offer up the sacrifice of our prayers unto God that he would make us inwardly glorious and in the end receive us into his heavenly kingdome If we lift up cleane hands a pure heart we shall ascend into his holy hill The Psalmist doth fiâ—st speake of the land of Iordan and then of Hermon and Missar shewing the low estate whereinto he was now brought when the waters were ready to overwhelme him and the streame to goe over his soule But then having confidence in remembring Gods mercy he will feare no evill though he walke through the valley of the shadow of death Psal 23. Thy judgments are as a great deepe 〈◊〉 36.6 thy righteousnesse like the great mountaines God who by his strength setteth fast the mountaines 65.6 which bring peace to the people will establish and support his children and give them a good issue out of all their trialls As a man that thinkes hee hath escaped the perill of water being come unto the shoare and yet is presently beaten back by the tenth wave and brought into his former estate of daunger So David who began to be refreshed in remembring Gods love is now again overtaken with sorrow When VERSE VII Deepe calleth unto deepe at the noyse of thy water spouts All thy waves and thy billowes are gone over mee DUring our whole life there is a continuall ebbing and flowing And this time of Davids affliction is like a double tide wherein new troubles did arise before the other were past away If hee found a short time of release it was like a fayre day in winter which we use to say doth breed fowle weather afterward That strength which he then recovered did enable him to undergoe those calamities which should come upon him But for the most part in this time of chastisement there was no other voyce heard but that of the flying Angel Revel 8.13 which said Woe woe woe as if God who afterward did smite the people for the sin of the King should now smite the King for the transgressions of all the people As in Iobs tryall Iob 1.14 15 16. while one messenger was speaking another came bringing sad tidings so here before one calamity was past another cause of sorrow did afflict him To bee cast out of the
city where hee lived To be expelled out of his kingdome wherein he governed as unworthy to come within the borders of it and yet God had promised that his throne should bee stablished for ever and when his daies should bee fulfilled his seed should bee set up after him but not before him as Absalom desired building his house upon his fathers ruine Then to have his concubines defiled in the sight of all Israell And all this not by an enemy for then he could have borne it more patiently but by his owne sonne And one messenger brings word that the hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom Another tels him that Ahitophel the Kings Counsellor was among the conspirators Moreover Shimei doth vex his righteous soule with malicious reproaches Now what could bee done more that was not done to make the measure of his sorrow to bee pressed down in heavinesse of soule and running over in the outward expressioÌ„ of his griefe How great and manifold are the dangers of them that goe downe to the sea in ships â—sal 107.26 that see the workes of the Lord For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof They mount up to heaven they goe downe againe to the depths So here Deepe calleth unto deepe David is exposed to the greatest perils that may be The windowes of heaven are opened â—en 7.12 as in the floud There is the noise of thy water-spouts but no Arke of deliverance like Noahs no not so much as that little Arke of Moses Exod 2.3 whereby he may hope to be drawn out of these miseries There is a mighty tempest but no ship to defend him nor yet any signe of a calme as to the Mariners neither any creature to waft him to the shore Ionah 1.4 as Ionah had There is a boystrous winde that made the billowes to goe over him but the helping hand of the Divine providence is not stretched out to uphold him Mat. 14.30 Psal 69.2 as unto Peter The flouds over-flow him the proud waters goe over his soule 124.5 Hee is cast into the deepe and all thy waves are upon him Ionah 2.3 Not one wave alone but many but all of them There was such a variety of his crosses and such a succession of his trouble that as the day was prolonged untill such time as Ioshuah had subdued his enemies so here the night of his misery was doubled untill such time as God had perfected the work of humiliation in him God who is most perfect will finish every good worke that hee hath begun in any of his children And being the author of time hee disposeth of all things for our good making us strong when wee are weake so that wee may take pleasure in infirmities 2. Cor. 12.10 in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake And by seeing our miserable and weake estate wee learne not to trust in our selves but in God who raiseth the dead When the water of affliction doth flow over our head we are thereby cleansed that we may be presented unto Christ without spot and blemish As Pharaoh and his host were covered by the depths Exod. 15.5 and sanke into the bottome as a stone so they that want faith to stand in temptation are ready to be swallowed up of despaire But every one that is godly hath this comfortable protection That in the flouds of great waters Psal 32.6 18.4 they shall not come nigh unto him and though the flouds of ungodly men make him afraid though he be compassed about with many tribulations Psal 130.1 yet out of the depth of his misery hee cryeth unto the depth of Gods mercy and prayeth unto the Lord on high who is mightier than the noyse of many waters 93.4 yea than the mighty waves of the sea to deliver him from them that hate him 79.14 15. that the water-floud may not over-flow him nor the deepe swallow him up And in conclusion hee finds this comfort that neither height nor depth shall bee able to separate him from the love of God Rom. 8.39 When Christ was asleepe in the ship that sailed over unto the other side of the lake Mat. 8.26 there came downe a storme insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves but when the disciples awoke him hee said Why are yee so fearefull O yee of little faith and rebuking the sea there was a great calme So in our voyage to heaven when the winde doth blow the raine doth fall and the waves doe beate upon us In strong temptations when wee are opposed on every side and looking up to heaven see nothing but the terrour of Divine justice ready to fall upon us looking downe wee see the horror of the pit ready to shut her mouth upon us and looking about wee see all the creatures armed for our destruction then through want of strength we are ready to sinke under the burthen of our calamities But when the quickning spirit shall revive our faith that slumbred within us and restore us to the life of grace wee begin to bee comforted in assurance that God will put an end to our trials and deliver us out of all affliction Such was Davids anchor which he cast out now in this storme and thereby hoped for safety Though the waves and billowes doe goe over me VERSE VIII Yet the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time and in the night his song shall bee with me and my prayer unto the God of my life AS before his teares were his meate day and night Verse 3. So now hee finds cause of rejoycing both day and night for the loving kindnesse of the Lord who did put songs of praise into his mouth His misery and trouble were now present before him His comfort was only hope but not to bee discerned by sense and reason Yet such was the strength of his confidence which he had fixed upon Gods love that thereby he became as fully assured of deliverance as if he were already restored to his former liberty The wicked shall feare day and night Deut. 28.66 67. in the morning he shall say Would God it were Even and at Even he shall say Would God it were morning And his greatest woe shall then begin when time shall be no more But the righteous that like Anna serve God night and day Luke 2.37 shall at all times be refreshed by trusting in Gods mercy who will command his loving kindnesse in the day time as He hath promised to command the blessing upon them that observe his Lawes Deut. 28.8 And we know that all things obey the voyce of God Hath he spoken and shall he not performe it Do the souldiers come when the Centurian calleth Mat. 8.9 and shall not all creatures be ready prest to doe the will of God Though his loving kindnesse be as it were unwilling
to come and reveale it selfe unto us that have so highly offended yet when God commandeth it must yeeld obedience Yea he so commandeth as that we may therein discerne his favour vnto vs He sends the Angel to comfort Hagar in her distresse And he commands his kindnesse which is as his messenger bringing glad tidings of great joy unto his children His kindnes is not without love Pro. 12.10 The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell but the chasticements of God doe proceed from his love An if our chasticements then much more his kindnesse He is a Father of mercies they are as naturall and as deare unto him as a sonne to his father And though a mother should forget her child He will never forget his love to his children Mat. 5.45 Our heavenly Father causeth the sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust He is kind unto the unthankfull and evill Luke 6.35 But as Hanun used the messengers of David disdainfully 2. Sam. 10.2 when he thought to shew kindnesse unto him So wicked men doe abuse the goodnesse of God and pervert it unto their owne destruction But they that are indued with wisedome from above doe sing praise unto his holy name and doe pray unto the God of their life for the continuance and increase of all his blessings The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in thâ— day time by restoring him to his former liberty of appearing before God And after he had in an holy manner performed the duties of the day he did in the night meditate upon the lawes of God and rejoyce in the gracious benefits which he had received Gen. 3.17 â—abor exoriâ—r durus omnes agitat câ—ras c. â—enec The day is made for man to labour It was the punishment upon Adam and his posterity to eate their bread in sorrow all the daies of their life Yet through the goodnesse of God we receive many blessings therein It is a time of salvation vnto us if we dothe works of righteousnesse while it is day and labour to know those things which belong unto our peace 1. Pet. 3.10 If we desire to see good dayes we must eschew euill and doe good 1. King 3.14 Then the Lord will lengthen our dayes Deut. 30.20 yea he himselfe will be our life and the length of our daies Wherefore let us ever remember the love of God 11.19 and speake to the praise of his name not only when we rise up in the day but when we lye downe in the night Then to call to remembrance our song as David did who remembred God upon his bed Psal 77 6. 63.6 and did rise at midnight to giue thanks 119 62. whose eyes prevented the night watches â—48 139.18 when he awaked he was still with him And howsoever the sons of perdition do turn night into day whose evill conscience hateth the light 1. Thes 5.7 and being by darknesse robbed of all shame Quippe omnem pudorem nox ademetat Tacit. Gravis malae conscientiae lux est Fastidio est lumen gratuitum Senec. doe scorne the day so freely given unto them And are drunken in the night committing all kinde of wickednesse and uncleannesse therein Forgetting that the darknesse hideth not from God but the night shineth as the day the darknesse and the light are both alike to him Psal 139.12 Nox faecundo operum pulchraeque accommoda fraudi Stat. Yet they that are godly doe receive much strength and consolation in the night to the refreshing both of soule and body It did discover the tinorous weaknesse of Nicolemus to come unto Christ by night Nox hominum genus duros miseraca labores Val. Flac. But it sheweth our holy confidence then to sing praise unto the Lord and with our soule to desire him in the night yea with our spirit within us to seeke him early Isai 26.9 In former times God appeared vnto his servants in visions of the night and therein revealed his good will vnto them God came to Abimelech by night Gen. 20.3 and with held him from sinning And surely we may make a profitable use of our dreames in the night Iob 33.15 16. whereby many times God sheweth us the great corruption of our deceitfull hearts wanting his grace to make resistance unto the assaults of Satan who wil not give us any time to rest from his temptations But as that great Commander did sodainly come upon the enemy Ma ius â—n Salust be l. Iugur by marching diverse nights so hee doth then beset us and seekes to wound us by casting his fiery darts evil thoughts into our hearts Sometime we offend by carnall affections sometime by uncharitablenesse carefull thoughts and vaine imaginations Psal 16.7 Dicetur merita nox quoque Naenia Horat. My reines also instruct me in the night seasons and such a night requires a song of lamentation But when the Lord hath proved our heart Psal 17.3 and visited us in the night and hath tryed us and shall find nothing then may wee have a song in the night and gladnesse of heart as when an holy solemnity is kept Isai 30 29. There is great cause of joy for that the Lord doth refresh and sustain us by quiet sleepe after we have beene wearied with the evill of the day And as hee giveth rest after labour so hee giveth ease and deliverance after affliction and trouble In the night Act. 12.7 a light shined unto Peter in the prison and the Angel of the Lord raised him when hee was sleeping betweene two souldiers bound with two chaines So the Lord doth looke graciously upon us in our most disconsolate estate when we are environed with many miseries and lifts us up by his favour making away for us to escape out of the greatest dangers At mid-night Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises and immediately Act. 16.25 by the earth-quake all the doores were opened and every ones bands were loosed In the midst of trouble if our mouth bee opened in prayer our hearts also shall bee inlarged in thankes-giving Even in the time of affliction there is cause of rejoycing in that it comes from Gods fatherly love who maketh us to trust in him for reliefe after the time of triall Shall a man that is miserable delight himselfe in musicke Philoxenu iâ— Alâ—iano and shall not wee bee comforted by singing praise unto the name of the Lord Iosephs brethren thought evill against him Gen. 50.10 but God meant it unto good that he being advanced might preserve life When wee thinke our selves to bee neerest unto destruction God may then intend our greatest happinesse and comfort As the heaven is high above the earth so the height and depth of his wisedome and love doe exceed the capacity of our shallow understanding Wee
the burthen upon others not seeking the bread of life by any sweat of our owne but onely as wee wipe it off from the face of other men Or else a customary and negligent performance of this duty whereby wee rather quench the spirit than stirre up the gift that is in us 2. Tim. 1. â— that it may shine cleerly for the benefit of others and burne cheerfully for the comfort of our own soules Now let us observe this resolution of David I will say unto God Ought hee not rather to have confessed with Iob Iob 9.3.15 That hee was not able to answer him one of a thousand And though hee had beene righteous yet would not answer but make supplication unto his Iudge As the Publican would not so much as lift up his eies unto heaven So might not he have said that hee was unworthy to lift up his voyce unto the Lord and to speake unto him Who art thou O man Rom. 9.20 that repliest against God Hath not the potter power over the clay Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Isai 45.9 1. Pet. 2.20 Are servants commanded to take it patiently when they suffer for doing well and shall Gods servants bee impatient when they are corrected for their faults as if like Balaam He did smite us when wee did not offend against him Num. 22.28 Also where hee complaineth that he is now forgotten he speaketh as if God should repent of his love towards him as Adam when he thought to justifie himselfe Gen. 3.12 did impute the blame upon God So David doth not accuse himselfe who had provoked the Lord by his transgressions but speaketh as if God had forgotten to bee gracious and had rejected him in his displeasure In the former part I will say unto God My rocke There is a strong confidence in Gods mercy which emboldened him thus to speake In the latter Why hast thou forgotten me He speakes according to carnall reason Iudg. 2.3 which is as a Canaanite in the land a thorne in our side not to bee wholly conquered untill the last enemy be destroyed 1. Cor. 15.26 Before you saw him panting and thirsting for God but now he is come to the rocke from whence floweth the water of life Before the waves and billowes went over him but now his feet are set upon the rocke For who is a rocke save our God Psal 18.31 He is a rocke of refuge 62.7 94.22 of strength of salvation Thus Hannah calls him in her song 95.1 There is no rocke like our God 1. Sam. 2.2 Thus Moses frequently in his song Deut. 32 31. Their rocke is not as our Rocke Thus David in his song 2. Sam. 22.47 Blessed be my rocke and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation God who is pleased to call himselfe Exod. 3.14 I AM may fitly be described by this title of the Rocke as being ever the same Yea more stable and permanent than any rocke Mat. 27 51. For the rocks have beene rent but God is immutable with him is no shadow of change wherefore let us put our whole trust in God And as the conies Pro. 30.26 though a feebl folke yet are commended as exceeding wise because they make their houses in the rockes So it will be our wisedome to build upon this Rocke Mat 7.24 that we may noâ— fall when we are opposed exalted by the prince of the ayre Ephes 2. The dove is sayd to be in the clefts of the rocke Cant 2.14 So let our soules being purified by faith enter through the wounds of Christ Isai 2.10 and be united unto him by love In this appellation here used My Rocke the Psalmist alludes to Gods favourable dealing with the Israelites whom he relieved by causing water to come out of the rocke at Horeb Exod. 17.6 Num. 20.11 Meribah The remembrance of Gods grace and love shewed unto others doth bring comfort unto our soules And it is the best menes for us to obtaine the blessings we want when we doe magnifie his holy name for his mercy and goodnesse unto his children and for the great benefits formerly conferred upon our selves Isai 17.10 Not being unmindfull of the rocke of our strength It was Davids infirmity having begun in the spirit in calling God his Rocke thus to end in the flesh saying Why hast thou forgotten mee Had wee faith as a graine of mustard seed Mat. 17.20 wee might bee able to remove mountaines but it doth discover our unbeliefe when wee thinke that our Rocke doth forsake us that our God forgets us Wee doe with Iesurun Deut. 32.18 forget the Rocke that begat us the God the foâ—med us but he never forsakes his servants that wait upon him How often would hee like the henne gather us under the wings of his providence and mercy But when did he like the Ostrich Iob 39 14. leave us wholly destitute of his favour Shall the man that falleth through his owne weakenesse or is overthrowne by the strength of the winds and power of the waves accuse the Rocke whereon hee stood for instability The Rocke is fixed and sure but wee are feeble yet such is our error that as in passing by water the eye is ready to apprehend that the rockes doe remove and the vessell wherein wee are doth stand still So wee many times doe deceive our selves by thinking that God doth goe from us when as wee doe runne from him by disobedience 1. Iohn 4.10 We have not loved God but hee us God hath not forgotten us but wee him Doth David demand Why hast thou forgotten me Might hee not as well have asked Why hast thou dealt so favourably with mee There was great cause of indignation but no merit of love 2. Sam. 7.8 When God tooke him from the sheepe-coat from following the sheepe and anoynted him King over Israel and delivered him out of the hand of Saul 12.7 and gave him his Masters house and the house of Israel and Iudah and if that had beene too little hee would have given him such and such things Having received so great blessings hee brought forth the grapes of Sodom in lust and uncleannesse making his transgression to be like that crying sin of the men of Gibeah Iudg 25. where adultery and murther were both joyned together Wherfore it was a just judgement of God to forget him who had so highly offended And yet in this wee may see that the wayes of God are not like our wayes nor his thoughts as our thoughts Wee thinke hee is well pleased with us when hee is most angry and that hee forgets us when hee begins to looke upon us in mercy David during the whole yeare that hee slumbred in his sin thought the time to bee like a jubilee of ioy wherein all things succeeded prosperously but now that God doth punish him